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REPO R T 


\ 


OK 


BKKr.  GEN.  JOHJN  S.  WILLIAMS 


OF 


OPERATIONS  IN  EAST  TENNESSEE, 


•M  2Ttm  SEPTEMBER  TO  Ion.  OCTOBER,  IS6J. 


PUBLISHED    BY  mrper  OF  CONGRESS. 


RICHMOND: 

K.  M    SMITH,  PUBLIC  FRl>  i  EH. 

1864. 


MESSAGE  OF  THE  PRESIDENT. 

Richmond,  Va.,  Feb.  8,  1864. 

To  the  Senate  and  House  of  Representatives  : 

I  herewith  transmit,  for  your  information,  a  communication  from 
the  Secretary  of  War,  covering  a  copy  of  the  report  by  General 
John  S.  "Williams  "  of  the  operations  of  the  forces  under  his  command 
at  Blue  Springs,  Henderson,  and  Rheatown,  Tennessee." 

JEFFERSON  DAVIS. 


COMMUNICATION  FROM  SECRETARY  OF  WAR. 


Confederate  States  of  America,  } 

War  Department,  \ 

Richmond,  Va.,  Feb.  4,  1864.  ) 

To  the  President  of  the  Confederate  States  : 

Sir  :  I  have  the  honor  to  forward,  for  the  information  of  Congress, 
and  in  response  to  a  resolution  of  the  House  of  Representatives,  copies 
of  the  report  of  General  John  S%  Williams,  of  the  operations  of  the 
forces  under  his  command  at  Blue  Springs,  Henderson,  and  Rheatown, 
Tennessee. 

I  am.  sir,  very  respectfullv,  vour  obedient  servant, 

JAMES  A.  SEDDOX. 
Secretary  of  War 


OPERATIONS  IN  EAST  TENNESSEE. 


REPORT  OF  BRIG.  GEN.  JOHN  S.  WILLIAMS. 


Headquarters  Department  West  Virginia,  > 
Dublin,  January  25,  1864.      \ 

General  S.  Cooper, 

A.  fy  I.  General  C.  S.  A.,  Richmond; 

General:  I  forward  with  this,  Brigadier  General  John  S.  Williams' 
report  of  his  operations  in  East  Tennessee,  from  the  27th  September 
to  15th  October  last. 

Very  respectfully,  your  obedient  servant, 

SAM.  JONES, 
Major  General. 


Headquarters  Cavalry  Brigade,  ) 
Abingdon,  Va.,  Oct.  23,  1863.       S 

Major  General  Sam  Jones, 

Commanding,  £c.,  dr.: 

General  :  I  have  the  honor  to  submit  the  following  brief  account 
of  the  operations  of  the  troops  under  my  command  during  the  recent 
campaign  in  East  Tennessee,  from  the  time  I  left  Zollicoffer,  by  your 
order,  on  the  27th  September,  to  proceed  to  Jonesboro',  until  the 
time  of  your  arrival  at  Abingdon; 

I  moved  from  the  neighborhood  of  Blountville  on  the  28th  day  of 
September,  and  reached  Jonesboro'  the  next  morning  at  eight  o'clock, 
when  we  met  the  enemy's  outpost,  which  we  attacked,  capturing  a 
portion  of  them,  with  the  horses  and  equipments  of  the  entire  party. 
The  enemy  hastily  threw  himself  into  position,  and  gave  us  battle  on 
the  wooded  heights  around  Jonesboro'.  After  two  hours'  sharp  fight- 
ing ho  gave  way,  and  fell  back  to  Leesburg.  Only  a  portion  of  the 
forces  on  either  side  were  engaged. 

In  this  engagement  the  enemy  had  General  Carter's  brigade  of 
cavalry  and  mounted  infantry — two  thousand  seven  hundred  strong. 


I  had  my  cavalry  brigade  of  only  one  thousand  five  hundred  men, 
most  of  them  raw  and  undisciplined  troops,  and  fragments  of  absent 
commands. 

I  received  here  a  dispatch  from  you,  saying  "  that  the  infantry  had 
been  ordered  up."  My  orders  were  "  to  meet  the  infantry  at  Jones- 
boro' ;   so  I  encamped  to  wait  their  arrival  and  shoe  my  horses. 

On  the  1st  day  of  October,  Major  General  Ransom  arrived,  assumed 
command,  and  ordered  me  forward  to  cover  a  movement  which,  he  in- 
formed me,  ho  was  about  to  make  upon  Cumberland  Gap;  and,  direct- 
ing me  to  move  as  if  I  was  covering  the  advance  of  an  army,  but  not 
to  pass  through  Hull's  Gap,  until  further  orders,  I  moved  with  my 
brigade,  driving  the  enemy  before  me,  killing  a  few  and  capturing 
some  prisoners. 

A  courier  from  General  Ransom  overtook  me  at  Greenville,  direct- 

ie  to  send  an  assistant   adjutant  general  or  aid-de-camp  of  my 

Staff   to  Bristol,  for  the  purpose,  as  was  supposed,  of  communicating 

with  me  through  him.     I  sent  Captain  Stanton,  my  assistant  adjutant 

general. 

iin.  on  the  morning  of  October  3d,  we  came  upon  Carter's  brig- 
ride  at  Blue  Springs,  when,  feeling  themselves  in  supporting  distance 
of  their  infantry,  on  Lick  creek  and  at  Bull's  Gap,  they  showed  some 
disposition  to  fight. 

On  the  evening  of  5th  October,  the  enemy  advanced  upon  us,  but 
was  repulsed  in  an  hour  or  two,  and  retired. 

On  the  evening  previous,  Major  Giles  B.  Cook,  inspector  general 
upon  your  staff,  arrived  to  inspect  the  command,  saying  he  had  come 
from  Major  General  Ransom,  who  "  did  not  expect  me  to  advance 
bejond  Greenville,  and  that  the  general  would  be  disappointed  on 
learning  I  had  gone  beyond  that  place."  I  was  now  eight  miles  be- 
yond Greenville,  and  could  not  retire  to  that  place  without  discover- 
ing  to  the  enemy  the  weakness  of  my  command  and  the  diversion  I 
was  to  make  in  favor  of  General  Ransom. 

1  received  at  this  point,  by  courier  from  General  Ransom,  a  com- 
munication, from  which  the  following  is  an  extract : 

14  By  direction  of  General  Jones,  it  is  necessary  for  me,  with  a 
portion  of  the  troops  under  my  command,  to  make  a  move  which  will 
bo  in  such  a  direction  as  to  prevent  my  communicating  with  you. 
You  will,  therefore,  assume  command  of  the  troops  in  East  Tennessee 
for  the  present.  The  artillery,  now  under  Colonel  King, 
and  General  Wharton's  brigade,  will  not  be  under  your  orders.  The 
rest  you  will  use." 

This  induced  me  to  believe  that  the  expedition  to  Cumberland  Gap 
was  still  progressing. 

I  remained  at  my  camp,  in  front  of  Blue  Springs,  for  several  days, 
hourly  expecting  intelligence  that  Cumberland  Gap  had  fallen  into 
our  hands,  and  congratulating  myself  on  the  success  of  my  diversion 
in  detaining  so  many  of  the  enemy's  forces  in  my  front. 

Besides  my  own  brigade,  I  had  no  knowledge  of  there  being  any 
troops  subject  to  my  order  in  East  Tennessee,  with  the   exception  of 


about  four  hundred  infantry  and  home  guards,  under  Brigadier  Gen- 
eral A.  E.  Jackson. 

I  sent  immediately  to  ascertain  Gen.  Jackson's  position,  and  to  or- 
der him  up. 

At  ten  A.  M.,  Saturday,  10th  instant,  the  enemy,  in  force,  moved 
upon  my  encampment,  driving  in  my  videttes  and  pickets.  The  ac- 
tion soon  became  general,  our  men  stubboruly  resisting  the  attack — 
the  right  wing  under  command  of  Col.  Carter,  of  1st  Tennessee  cav- 
alry, and  the  left  under  Col.  Giltner,  of  4th  Kentucky  cavalry — both 
of  whom  displayed  the  greatest  gallantry  and  skill  in  the  management 
of  their  commands. 

During  the  day,  the  enemy  received  reinforcements  and  continued 
to  extend  his  lines,  to  meet  which  I  was  compelled  to  lengthen  my 
own,  until  my  front  was  more  than  two  miles  long,  and  became  noth- 
ing but  a  line  of  skirmishers. 

Our  four  pieces  of  artillery  were  well  posted  and  supported  by  two 
companies.  At  about  five,  P.  M.,  the  enemy,  discovering  the  weak- 
ness of  our  lines,  made  a  furious  assault  on  the  centre,  composed  of  a 
battalion  under  Lieutenant  Colonel  Trimble,  numbering  between 
seventy-five  and  one  hundred  men,  against  which  were  precipitated 
two  regiments  and  a  battalion  of  infantry  and  a  battery  of  six  pieces 
of  artillery.  Our  centre  was  compelled  to  give  way,  but  withdrew 
handsomely  upon  the  right  and  left  wings,  and  the  enemy  pressed 
straight  towards  our  batteries,  which  did  not  open  until  they  approached 
within  two  hundred  and  fifty  yards;  then  our  four  heavier  pieces  and 
Lieutenant  Schoolfield's  battery  of  Williams'  guns  opened  upon  them 
with  grape  and  canister,  mowing  them  down. 

The  enemy  broke  and  attempted  to  escape  under  cover  of  a  ravine 
and  woodlands  towards  our  left,  where  Giltners'  rifles  dealt  destruc- 
tion in  their  discomfitted  ranks.  With  heavy  loss  they  lied  to  their 
original  position,  and  darkness  covered  the  field. 

During  the  night,  reliable  information  reached  me  that  a  brigade  of 
Indiana  infantry,  passing  through  Cumberland  Gap,  Tazewell  and 
Morristown,  had  arrived  at  Blue  Springs,  and  were  being  placed  in 
position  to  engage  us  next  morning.  I  also  had  positive  information 
that  a  heavy  force  of  cavalry  had  passed  through  Rogersville  on  their 
road  to  Jonesboro'. 

At  dark  I  left  the  field  and  went  to  Greenville,  and  put  myself  in 
communication  with  you  by  telegraph. 

I  informed  you  that  the  enemy  in  my  immediate  front  was  at  least 
five  thousand  strong,  with  reinforcements  coming  up;  and  here  I  first 
learned  that  the  expedition  to  Cumberland  Gap  had  been  abandoned. 

While  in  the  telegraph  office,  a  courier  from  Colonels  Giltner  and 
Carter  informed  me  that  the  enemy  had  thrown  two  strong  forces  of 
infantry  on  my  right  and  left,  and  that  they  had  arranged  everything 
for  a  retrograde  movement,  subject  to  my  approval. 

I  approved  the  movement. 

My  only  chance  of  escape  was  to  elude  the  pursuit  of  the  force  in 
my  front  and  attack  and  whip  the  one  in  my  rear. 

We  marched  all  night ;  were  joined  by  General  Jackson's  brigade 


8 

at  Greenville,  and,  at  daybreak  on  Sunday,  11th  instant,  came  upon 
the  brigade  of  the  enemy,  commanded  by  Colonel  Foster,  two  thousand 
two  hundred  strong,  and  six  pieces  of  artillery,  posted. 

I  ordered  General  Jackson  to  charge  the  enemy  on  the  right,  with 
his  three  hundred  infantry,  and  Colonel  Carter,  with  the  first  Ten- 
nessee cavalry  and  the  commands  of  Lieutenant  Colonel  Trimble  and 
Major  Halsey,  to  charge  on  our  left,  which  was  done  in  handsome  style 
and  the  Yankees  completely  routed. 

We  passed  on,  without  the  loss  of  a  wagon  or  a  single  head  of  beef 
attle.  We  moved  on  to  Rheatown,  where,  by  some  misunderstand- 
ing of  orders,  the  artillery  took  the  wrong  road,  and  some  time  was 
consumed  in  getting  it  back.  While  waiting  for  its  return,  the  enemy 
again  made  his  appearance,  which,  in  the  absence  of  our  artillery, 
produced  considerable  confusion,  but  order  was  soon  restored,  and  the 
enemy  checked. 

The  artillery  was  brought  back  as  soon  as  possible,  and,  from  a 
good  position,  two  miles  east  of  Rheatown,  we  again  gave  the  enemy 
battle,  which  lasted  for  more  than  three  hours,  when  we  gradually  fell 
back  to  Joncsboro'.  Agreeably  to  your  instructions,  I  moved  G  n- 
•rul  Jackson's  infantry  along  the  line  of  the  railroad,  and  the  cavalry 
irds  Blountville. 

On  the  13th  instant,  the  enemy  again  made  his  appearance,  and 
attacked  our  cavalry  near  Blountville,  using  artillery  chiefly.  The 
cavalry  under  Brigadier  General  William  E.  Jones  maintained  their 
position  until  evening,  when  they  fell  back  towards  Zollicoffer,  and 
were  met  by  Brigadier  General  Wharton's  brigade  of  infantry,  which 
had  arrived  that  morning,,  and  which  I  had  ordered  to  the  support  of 
the  cavalry.  Brigadier  General  William  E.  Jones  infoimed  me  that 
the  enemy's  force  in  his  front  was  large,  and  that  a  heavy  force,  with 
a  wagon  train,  had  turned  his  right  by  the  Reedy  Creek  road,  and 
were  moving  upon  Bristol.  I  dispatched  Lieutenant  Colonel  Witcher, 
-with  his  (thirty-fourth  Virginia)  battalion,  by  the  Beaver  Creek  road, 
to  get  into  the  enemy's  front,  and  detain  him,  by  skirmishing,  until  our 
main  force  could  march  from  Zollicoffer  to  Bristol,  which  he  did  in  an 
admirable  manner.  I  at  once  put  the  whole  force  in  motion,  sending 
tha  wagons  and  cattle  by  the  Paperville  road,  and  marching  the 
troops  straight  to  Bristol.  The  enemy  being  on  the  main  Bristol  and 
Aaingdon  turnpike,  and  also  on  the  Reedy  Creek  road,  I  was  com- 
pelled to  fall  back  to  a  point  beyond  which  these  two  roads  united, 
near  which  place  I  found  a  good  position  to  make  a  stand,  and  here  I 
posted  my  artillery  and  troops  in  line  to  receive  the  enemy. 

The  next  morning  he  advanced  with  several  regiments  of  cavalry 
within- six. miles  of  Abingdon,  but  for  60ite  reason  as  yet  unexplained, 
he  suddenly  commenced  a  retrograde  movement,  which  took  place 
about  the  time  of  your  arrival. 

Where  so  many  have  behaved  well,  it  is  impossible  to  do  justice  to 
all,  but  I  cannot  close  this  communication  without  testifying  my  en- 
tire satisfaction  with  the  conduct  of  Lieutenants  Schoolfield,  Loyd 
and  Graham,  of  the  artillery.  I  am  greatly  indebted  to  my  staff 
vfficers,  Captains  Stanton.  Myer,  Guerrant  and  Jenkins,  and  Frank 


Miller,  for  gallant  and  efficient  services,  rendered  not  only  upon  the 
battle-field,  but  throughout  the  campaign. 
Very  respectfully, 

JOHN  S.  WILLIAMS, 

Brigadier  General. 


Headquarters    Cavalry    Brigade,  ) 
Blountville,  Tenn.,  Nov.  3,  1863.      \ 

Major  General  Sam  Jones, 

Commanding,  &c.9dsc.  : 

General  :  I  beg  leave  to  submit  the  following  supplemental  report, 
to  wit:  That  subsequent  information  of  the  most  positive  and  reliiblo 
character,  as  well  as  the  official  report  of  General  Burnside,  satisfies 
me  that  I  greatly  underestimated  the  enemy's  strength  at  Blue 
Springs.  General  Bnrnside  was  in  that  engagement  himself,  with 
his  entire  army,  which  did  not  fall  far  short  of  \ousrmd  men. 

The  two  regiments  and  battalions  of  Yankees  which  I  mentioned  in 
my  original  report  as  having  attacked  and  forced  our  centre,  but  were 
repulsed  with  heavy  loss  in  their  assault  upon  our  batteries,  General 
Burnside  mentions  as  an  entire  division  of  infantry.  This  mistake 
might  easily  hnve  been  made,  from  the  undulating  and  wooded  char- 
acter of  the  ground  and  the  short  duration  of  their  unsuccessful  effort 
to  take  our  guns.  I  herewith  onclose  you  a  copy  of  General  Burn- 
eide's  report. 

Very  respectfully, 

JOHN  S.   WILLIAMS, 

Brigadier  General. 


